Sublingual Immunotherapy for Respiratory Allergies

This information brief is a literature review performed at the request of the Collège des médecins du Québec concerning the clinical efficacy and safety of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) for respiratory allergies.

Three publications with a high level of evidence were selected, and the following findings emerged from the analysis. According to the most commonly used efficacy parameters, SLIT produces a significant reduction in all allergic rhinitis and allergic conjunctivitis symptoms and most symptoms specific to allergic conjunctivis. Analyses of the clinical efficacy of SLIT were nevertheless characterized, for the most part, by considerable heterogeneity in the studies under review. Furthermore, no significant difference was observed between placebo and SLIT in relation to the use of medications for allergic conjunctivitis, all allergic conjunctivitis symptoms and the use of medications for this disorder.

In conclusion, although most of the efficacy and safety studies on sublingual immunotherapy for respiratory allergies are reassuring, much is still unknown about introducing this therapeutic modality into clinical practice.